Almost everyone who has reached puberty knows the famous "butterflies in the stomach". They describe a feeling that puts the body in a completely exceptional state and mostly overrides rational thinking - the Infatuation.
What is infatuation?
Being in love is a strong feeling of affection that differs from the feeling of love in several ways. Being in love sometimes leads to a misjudgment of the other person and the overall situation itself.
Being in love is a state that is not permanent, but only lasts for a certain period of time. The "pink glasses" euphoria the person in love, whose feelings can be reciprocated, but are sometimes also one-sided. Being in love can either fade away after a certain period of time or develop into love. It can thus be seen as a preliminary stage to love.
In psychology, experts refer to being in love as passionate love, which can also be accompanied by a strong physical desire for the other person. Reasons for being in love are, on the one hand, physical attractiveness and, on the other hand, sympathy for the other person. A certain feeling of resemblance to the other person can also play a role.
The processes that take place in the body of people in love are primarily hormonal. It is an interplay of the most varied of biochemical processes. Neurotransmitters and hormones play a crucial role and, according to research, are changed when a person is in love. Serotonin and dopamine, for example, are involved, which are considered messenger substances for feelings of happiness. Oxytocin also plays a role in being in love. Colloquially it is also known as the cuddle hormone.
Function & task
Being in love primarily has the function of initiating a partnership and thus - with a view to evolution - producing offspring and ensuring survival. A relationship begins in the majority of cases with being in love. Many relationships break up again and being in love is no guarantee of love, but it still has a decisive function. Because in the time in which the person gets to know the new partner and they adjust to each other, being in love is particularly important. It helps people to overlook mistakes made by others. She is responsible for not running away from the misconduct and quirks of the partner. In short: it gives you time to get to know the other person from different angles and also to see what you will later learn to love about them.
Every partnership is based on a foundation that must first be created. During this period of time it is therefore not very beneficial to be angry and argue about trifles.
The extent to which the mistakes accepted during the fall in love turn out to be problematic in retrospect differs from couple to couple. Once love has developed, the person is more likely to overlook the other's mistakes because they are already known and accepted by him. If this is not the case, the partners may simply not be a good match and the relationship falls apart.
In other words: being in love is the first step in a possibly functioning partnership that can also provide for offspring. It acts as the body's own drug to make the relationship easier.
Illnesses & ailments
Infatuation is not reciprocated in all cases. This leads to disappointment and lovesickness, which the person concerned can quickly find hopeless. This is related to the unfulfilled desire for the other person.
Humans are unable to meet the basic mood and needs that are triggered by the hormones. In this case there is either the possibility of fighting for the person or of seeing the situation as having no chance and waiting until the infatuation subsides.
Often times it is difficult to accept that the feelings are not reciprocated. This quickly leads to what feels like a “broken heart”. What is perceived as such at first, however, often turns out to be exaggerated as the fall in love subsides.
Nevertheless, unfulfilled love can lead to short-circuit reactions that, depending on the situation and intensity, can come to a bad end. Therefore, friends and caregivers who are at the side of the person affected and who are well encouraged are particularly important in this case.
How long being in love lasts depends on various factors. How often you see your loved one is particularly important. Unrequited feelings are often perceived as unbearable by adolescents, especially during school hours, because they usually see the other person at school every day. It can also get complicated when falling in love occurs within a beginning friendship.
The best cure for lovesickness is distraction. In addition, with the help of friends, the person affected should keep in mind the finiteness of the phase to be lived through if necessary.
In the rarest of cases, being in love remains unique. Everyone usually falls in love several times in life, as otherwise it would be difficult to build a relationship. In order for love to develop out of being in love, a deep affection for the other must be felt on both sides.
